TWO PAKISTANI MEN QUIT THEIR NORTH BELFAST HOME OVER RACIAL ATTACKS

TWO men who have been the victims of a racist attack at their north Belfast home on Sunday have left their home.

And they are now making plans to leave Northern Ireland.

One of the Pakistani men was treated in hospital after being attacked at the house in Parkmount Street.

The pair had been visited by Pastor James McConnell who made controversial comments about Muslims visited the men.

James McConnell said he had told them there was “no justification for such an attack” whatever their religion.

One of the men, Muhammad Asif Khattak, said he had been warned by friends not to leave London to go to Northern Ireland.

“I’m regretting what happened to me. The friends told me yesterday ‘we were right what we told you before, not to go, not to leave London’,” he said.

Mr McConnell said he had offered to help pay for damage caused to their home on Sunday.

Last month, the pastor described Islam as “heathen” and “satanic”, and said he did not trust Muslims.

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Peter Robinson came under fire for defending Mr McConnell’s remarks, telling the Irish News he would not trust Muslims involved in violence or those devoted to Sharia law.

However, the DUP leader said he would “trust them to go to the shops” for him. Mr Robinson later said his remarks had been misinterpreted, and met Muslim leaders in Belfast to apologise.

Mr McConnell, of the Metropolitan Tabernacle church in north Belfast, said he had told the two men he was appalled by the incident at Parkmount Street on Sunday.

The church said in a statement: “A very profitable discussion took place about how the pastor has reached out to all sides of this community for over 60 years and he will continue to do so.”